Nepal-Tibet flash flood: death toll rises above 540 as rescue operations resume – latest updates

The Nepalese army has published extraordinary footage of its rescue operation of people trapped in a tunnel of a hydropower project in the flood-hit district of Rasuwa.

Rescuers are seen army crawling on thick mud towards the trapped people and carrying them out to safety. The survivors are caked in thick layers of mud, covering their clothes and bodies, as they are helped onto a helicopter as part of the rescue operation.

The Nepalese prime minister’s office said: “Despite the challenging terrain and hazardous conditions, the Nepalese army team deployed for the rescue has so far successfully rescued two people from the tunnel.

“The search is ongoing to determine how many people are still trapped inside, and efforts to rescue them are underway.

“Despite the challenging conditions in the tunnel, the army is continuing its search and rescue efforts for the remaining people, deploying technical equipment and a specially trained team.”

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said 320 Indian nationals are still missing in the aftermath of the floods.

About 400 Indian ‌nationals have been located and are safe in the Chinese side of the border, Jaiswal said during a briefing.

Some more sobering images have just come in from the news wires, as rescue efforts continue to search for the more than 1,500 people missing after a brief pause due to a formed river overflowing.

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong spoke to her Nepalese counterpart to convey Australia’s deepest condolences following the devastating floods.

In a post on X, Wong wrote thatshe had spoken to Shisir Khanal, and outlined Australia’s $5m humanitarian assistance package announced earlier today, which includes $2 million to the World Food Programme and $1 million to the Emergency Action Alliance.

Minister Wong also outlined the details of the deployment of Australian humanitarian response specialists to assist Nepal with response and recovery efforts.

She reaffirmed Australia’s readiness to provide further humanitarian and other assistance as needed, as the country works to confirm the welfare of those missing.

You can read her post on X here.

The overall death toll in Nepal has risen to 538 people, with more than 1,500 still missing, AFP report, citing the disaster authority.

Chinese state media earlier confirmed five dead following Wednesday’s disaster, taking the total killed to at least 543.

Earlier this morning, it was 469.

More than 100 tourists have been rescued from the floods in Nepal.

So far, 117 tourists have been rescued, including 85 Indians, 16 Chinese, 9 South Koreans, 2 Italians and 2 US nationals, Reuters reports, citing a tourism ministry source.

More than ⁠90,000 people are estimated to ⁠be affected ⁠by ​the Himalayan landslide, the Red Cross ⁠said on Friday, as aid ⁠officials voiced fears ​of ‌further flooding.

“We’re of ‌course very concerned ‌about the secondary flood,” said David Fisher, head of delegation for the ‌International Federation of Red Cross and Red ​Crescent Societies in Nepal.

He said that its trucks ⁠with relief supplies ​were ​blocked after a ​lake formed by ​the ‌landslide ​broke ​its banks.

Bidur, on the banks of the Trishuli river, is one of the few areas affected by the floods that is still accessible by road.

But what was once a bustling town now lies in ruins. Most homes were completely washed away when a tide of mud, rocks and debris flooded down the river valley early on Wednesday morning. Those who survived described clinging on to buildings and trees as the water rushed over them.

The mangled concrete remains of a bank, a government office and an ATM booth were among the few structures left standing, still submerged deep in mud. Officials said there were still bodies buried inside the buildings but it was too dangerous to enter and dig them out.

Nearby, locals gathered desperately along the muddy road, calling out for lost relatives and trying to dig out remnants of their lives.

Yet rescue efforts in Bidur were quickly disrupted on Friday morning as the levels of the Trishuli river began to rise once again, after a lake upstream, close to the China border, burst its banks. Revsue workers were cleared from the area while residents who had tried to return to their site of their lost and ruined homes were told to evacuate again immediately.

Most of the areas battered by the flash floods still remained only accessible by army helicopter. In Bidur army camp, where much of the rescue efforts was being coordinated, rescue helicopters and army choppers flew in and out every five minutes, dropping off dozens of traumatised victims. Many said that in a matter of minutes, the floods had taken their loved ones, their homes and everything they owned.

This aerial footage shows the lake that formed as a result of the flooding, which started to overflow.

Nepalese ⁠authorities have ⁠resumed ⁠rescue operations in ​the region ⁠hit by a ⁠devastating ​flood ‌this ‌week, an ‌army spokesperson said on Friday, after ‌a brief suspension due ​to water overflowing ⁠from ​a barrier ​lake.

An Australian woman has made contact with her family, more than two days after she was reported missing in flash flooding in Nepal.

Cara Severino, 25, is the first of 39 Australians reported missing in the tragedy to have been confirmed safe.

But she is still hiking away from the disaster zone, attempting to reach Kathmandu on foot with a group of Nepali hikers – a trek of more than 110km.

Her parents, Debbie and Frank Severino, confirmed in a statement that she had no phone reception, and her own phone had a flat battery, but that she had contacted them on Friday morning to say she was safe.

In a statement, they said:

She was hiking the Langtang trek and was stranded. With communications down we had no contact.

This morning she was able to call us from Gosainkunda where she has been able to reach along with some other [Nepali] hikers. We understand that they are attempting to reach Kathmandu on foot.

We eagerly await more information about her safe return. We praise God that she has been able to make this brief contact with us. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families awaiting news.

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